Legend of Zelda: Warriors of the Zodiac
by FantasyFae
Summary: Seven decades after the fall of Hyrule to the fearsome Ganondorf, a mute named Link is sent on a suicidal task: find the Triforce. But when he accidentally wakes a Zodiac, he sets off a chain of events that no one expected. Stuck between Ganondorf and a powerful creature named Lanayru, can Link reawaken all the Zodiacs and find the missing Triforce before it's too late? After TP,ES
1. Link

**A/N:** Yay! Another fanfiction. So, this one does come after another one of mine, Elemental Spirits, and I would read that one before you read this one. There are a few references that you won't appreciate/get unless you read it. Please review; cause this one is totally spontaneous and I have no clue what I'm going to do with it.

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"_And so the hero climbed the tower where the princess was, encased in a pink crystal. He met the fearsome Demon Lord, who challenged him…"_

_Booooring._

The teen's comment brought the reader up short. His short brown beard stiffened as he glowered at the honey-blonde, blue-eyed boy, who was petting his cat in front of the blazing fire with an uninterested expression on his face.

"Excuse me, young man?"

_I've heard this story a million times. Every single Hero of Time, or the Twilight, or the Elementals, I've heard their stories and how they save the beautiful princess EVERY SINGLE TIME. It gets boring after a while._

"This is history, boy."

_Then why's it in storybook form? And, Uncle, it seems like you're flaunting it in my face, how I've got the same name as them and how I'm not a hero or good enough to be of any use to this village._

"Well, if that's what you think I'm doing, just so you know, I'm not. Link, you are just fine the way you are. Just because you have…problems…doesn't mean you aren't good enough…"

_Then why does it seem like the only friend I have is Zelda?_ He gestured to the cat, who purred and gazed at him with cyan blue eyes.

"Isn't Ryuo your friend?"

_Well, him too. But how would you feel if you could do something normal, and had friends, and then one day, it was taken away, and people just left?_

"They just don't know how to act around you…"

_Whatever. I'm going to bed._ The teen stood up, Zelda draped about his arms, and walked into a door opposite his Uncle.

In the sanctuary of his cold room, cold because it was so far away from the fire, he glanced into his cracked mirror.

The same cobalt blue eyes peeked out of his blonde hair, parted down the middle and rather long. His ears were pointed like all Hylians, pierced with two cobalt round earrings. His face wasn't exactly bad to look at, but it wasn't precisely material for _Hyrule's Hottest_. His clothes were simple, made of heavyweight fabric, with a brown shirt and black pants.

He sighed, his breath turning into fog. Link paused for a second, before opening his mouth and speaking. All that came out was a strangled squawk. Closing his mouth, he sighed, tears welling up in his eyes. He sat on his bed, curling up into a fetal position.

_I hate being mute._


	2. A Bit of Background

Hyrule was a desolate country, riddled with monsters put in place by the Ghost of Ganondorf. Rumors circulated that it had once been a green country, full of life, until Ganondorf had returned, almost seven decades ago.

It was now brown and lifeless, and the remaining denizens of Hyrule had fled to it's farthest edges, waiting for a hero that didn't seem to want to appear. They had set up little villages, farming what land they could, and telling tales of the Heroes of Old and the Triforce.

Link lived in one of these, near the old Lake Hylia, now dried and cracked, in a cave. His Uncle Kristoff, his auburn cat Zelda, and his best and only human friend Ryuo Chikusho, who was brown-haired, green-eyed, and wore some sort of strange brown tunic with black pants, lived in the village with him.

They were fishing at a small pond, all that was left of the once great lake, overrun with algae, with Zelda dozing beside Link, shedding all over his pants.

"Yo, Link, wake up! You've got a bite!" Ryuo shook the daydreaming blonde, who snapped to and started pulling on the fishing rod.

As Link pulled out the wriggling fish, he turned to Ryuo. _Thanks, buddy. I owe you one._

"Just don't fall in," he laughed, steading Link. "You know, rumor has it that a spirit dwells beneath the lake. They say that you can hear it snoring at night."

_That's almost as believable as the legend of the Triforce._

"It's true, bud, as true as your cat's name is Zelda. My Granddad Yuki was the bearer of the Triforce of Power for a short time."

_And who says that's true?_

"He had the mark on his hand!"

_Have you ever heard of ink?_

"You've got no imagination whatsoever." Ryuo plopped back down beside Link. "The cat has more imagination than you do." Zelda purred and turned on her back, sunbathing her belly.

_The cat has an easier life than I do._

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Link. It's not appealing."

_What?_

"You're always like 'Poor pitiful me. I lost my voice, so people don't like me, blah, blah, blah.' You had a freak accident, so what? You're the same person you were before, just missing a part that you really don't need." He got an evil grin on his face, glancing at Link. "Like castration!"

Link snorted, and they both burst out laughing, scaring the bejeezus out of the cat.

_Ryuo, you're such an idiot._

"Yeah, but it makes people laugh, and Goddess knows that we need a few. You especially; ever since your accident, you've been like a mushroom."

_Gross._

"But it's true. Anyway, have you heard?"

_Heard what, Ryuo._

"The rumors of the Trial of the Triforce. People are getting so desperate, that they've started searching for it. Nobody comes back from those wholly. They either die, or get…changed…in the process. Our village has, stupidly, decided to send out one person to look for it, and have decided that they can't come back until they find it."

_That's suicide!_

"Exactly. Which is why they're drawing names of all the teens in this dump, since nobody is stupid enough to volunteer."

Link and Ryuo sat in silence for a minute, Zelda pawing at a fly.

_Sometimes I wish I was an animal, with no cares in the world except the next meal._

"Yeah. But then, we would be forced under Ganondorf." Zelda's ears pricked and Link shushed Ryuo.

_You know that we're being watched!_

"Oops. Sorry."

_'Sorry' won't cut it if the village is attacked._

"Speaking of attacks, look what I found in the basement." Ryuo dug through his travel sack, until he pulled out a bottle full of a red liquid.

_Red potion! And this was in your basement?_

"Yeah. It's a little old, but still good. I reckon it's the last of the stock. Bottle's still decent as well."

_Damn! Better keep it secret for now. People would kill for some decent potion._

Zelda meowed, pawing at Link's sack. He looked up at the sun's position.

_Oh, crap. It's nearly dinnertime! We'd better get back._

Link and Ryuo packed up their gear, heading towards the village with their catch.


	3. Caverns

**A/N:** Okay, I'm going to address some things that I think need addressing.

Numero Uno: Reviews. I absolutely love them; they make writing worthwhile. When you guys review, I like to respond to them, just to let you know that I saw it, blah blah blah. You get the gist. So, if you see a random reply or something, don't freak.

Two: Frequency of the chapters. I'm going to be going really slow on this one, because I'm trying to make my writing better, and the stuff with editing. So please don't go to me with the 'Please finish this', because I definitely will. I like this story. Also, having a beta reader would be nice, if anybody who sees this and likes it would mind.

That's all I can think of now... Please review, I really like it.

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At dinnertime, the adults formally announced the "Trial of the Triforce", as they called it, and the lottery to take place.

There was baited breath as Link's Uncle Kristoff searched around the hat for the name. Everybody leaned forward, praying the Goddesses to not have their name chosen. Ryuo could be heard audibly, even though he was whispering, saying "Please, Goddesses, no" over and over.

Kristoff could be seen sweating, as if all the teens were laying some sort of spell of apprehension over him. When a slip of paper was finally chosen, he opened it to many a gasp.

"Link," he read.

After a pause, Link sighed, standing and leaving the room. All eyes were on him, but he seemed oblivious. Zelda scampered after him as he walked out of the cavern into his house.

He felt numb, as if he had been dunked into cold water and left there. The house was silent and incredibly cold, mostly because the evening fire hadn't been started up yet. He entered his room, wondering what on earth he should take, when a knock sounded on the frame.

"Link?" Ryuo stepped in, holding something in his hands. "Are you okay?"

_I've been better._

"Wow, tough luck, man." Ryuo laughed, trying to ease the tension. "But I have some things for you." He showed Link what he had brought: the bottle of red potion and a new set of adventure packs, complete with a belt.

_Whoa, whoa, Ryuo, I can't accept this. The last of the red potion? And a good set of packs? Keep them for yourself._

"I think that you'll have more need of it than I will. I've never told anybody this, but I'm descended from a long line of witches, and I have a few powers of my own." He winked. "I could easily brew more if I had the ingredients. These packs I made by hand with magical properties. It would be rude not to accept them." He gave Link the stink-eye.

_Fine. If you insist._

"I also found this in our basement." Ryuo pulled out a travel tunic, forest green, along with a white undershirt and pants.

_Exactly how much stuff do you have in your basement?_

"A lot. You'll have to keep your boots though; I couldn't find any new or good ones."

_Thanks so much, Ryuo. I don't know what I'd do without you._

"Live an utterly boring life with absolutely no humor or excitement?" Link bonked him gently on the head.

_Hey, Ryuo?_

"That's me."

_Take care of Zelda for me, please. I'm worried that she'll go ballistic if I left or…_

"Yeah, sure," Ryuo said, quickly interrupting him. "No sweat."

"What's going on here?" Kristoff had come in unexpectedly, holding a sword, plus sheath, and a wooden shield. He was carrying a lantern in one hand.

"Just seeing Link off," Ryuo said, flashing a smile.

"Well, I have a few gifts for him myself," he said, glancing at the green tunic. "The first is a sword, the best I could find, and the second is a shield. The lantern is to help light your way. You're going to need them."

Link accepted them, absently listening as Kristoff went on a rant about how to use them properly, and strapped them to his back. He stuck the lantern in his adventure packs, watching as it magically shrunk to fit.

Ryuo handed him a small travel bag, filled with food and other necessities, such as rope and lighting flint.

When he was finally allowed to leave, he was escorted out the door in the cliff by Ryuo and a few other people, including his uncle.

"I would leave now, at night," Kristoff said. "It has a better chance of cover. Head along the river bed. It will be a good path. Link," Kristoff said, grabbing hold of his shoulder and spinning him around. "Be safe."

Link hugged his uncle, conveying an unspoken "I will."

He started off, feeling the watching eyes of the village boring into his back. He got about halfway to the lakebed, still within sight of the village, when the ground gave way under him.

Letting out a terrified screech, he fell through a giant shaft, earth raining down on him. He landed agilely on his hands and feet, old wood and dirt covering the floor.

Wiping the dirt off his head, he looked back up. There was a hole in the ground-turned-ceiling, almost the size of a boulder. He was in an airy cavern, with dark passageways leading off deeper into the ground. The cavern was lit only by the dim moonlight coming through the hole. Link stood, walking toward a tunnel that lead off deeper underground.

"Well, he set a record. He's the first person to die within the first seconds of travelling."

"He's not dead!"

"Link!" Ryuo's head poked through the shaft, obscuring the moonlight.

Link opened his mouth to respond, stopping when he remembered that he couldn't speak.

Instead, he tossed a rock at Ryuo's head.

"Ow… Link, that's not funny. I take it you're all right."

Link stepped into the moonlight, nodding his response.

"Okay. Hang tight; We're going to get a ladder."

If Link knew his village at all, it would be morning by the time they even thought about getting the ladder.

Stepping out of the moonlight, he brought out his lantern, lighting it with the small flint. Walking to the nearest tunnel let-off, he looked down it. It was dark and dank, leading downward, and full of Keese, the plentiful bats that lived practically everywhere in Hyrule. There had been a nest in the village caverns before the community had moved in.

Drawing his sword and shield, he clipped the lantern to his belt, and walked down the tunnel. As quiet as he was, a Keese woke up, spotted him immediately, and screeched. The ceiling lit up as a hundred glowing red eyes shot open, fixing on Link.

The nest let go of their grip on the ceiling, swarming around Link's head, as he drew his sword and hacked inexpertly into the horde. A few fell here and there, but eventually the swarm got the better of Link, buffeting and scratching him left and right.

The Keese pulled off their attack, instead focusing on tearing his clothes off. Swinging wildly at the horny bats, Link didn't realize until it was too late that the Keese were trying to make him airborne.

Somehow, they managed to actually get him a foot off the ground, and started flying him down the tunnel. Baffled, Link allowed them to do so, occasionally getting his rear grazed on the ground.

The strange procession continued until they dumped him unceremoniously on a stone floor in a giant chamber.

It was all smooth grey stone, with a clear, pure, blue lake in the middle. In the middle of the lake was a giant flat circular stone. The floor was moist, as was the wall.

Standing, Link looked to his surroundings, dimly lit by the small light his lantern cast.

Suddenly, a wild meowing came from his bag, writhing and clawing everywhere. Thinking that the day couldn't possibly get any weirder, Link removed the yowling bag from his back and opened it slowly.

Out exploded a very relieved and disheveled Zelda.

_What…_

Link set down his lantern and crouched next to the kitty, who was putting her ruffled fur back into order.

_So, you snuck into my travel bag, huh? You're smarter than I give you credit for._

Zelda glanced at him with her sapphire eyes, before bounding away into the darkness.

_Hey!_

Link stood up rapidly, re-clipping his lantern to his belt, preparing to chase after the cat. Skidding after her on the slippery surface, he made good time until he tripped over a dent in the floor.

Smacking his head on the ground, the small portion of the world lit by his lantern slowly faded out to black.


	4. Author's Note

Hello, my readers! It's been a while. I am sorry to find that I lied to you in the last chapter. Sadly, I will be discontinuing Legend of Zelda: Warriors of the Zodiac.

Despite it being a wonderful story, I find it's beyond my capabilities to write. I, honestly, am not able to write for TWELVE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PEOPLE. I've never been good at dialogue and writing action, but for TWELVE people? That I am not capable of, sadly. My limit is, like, four, haha.

Even though I am discontinuing this story, I plan (the operative word being _plan_) to write more in the future. I am probably going to write a crossover for Zelda and My Little Pony (though I don't show it, I am a big fan of MLP), and some more for Zelda (I've got an awesome idea). So keep your eye out for more from me.

I love your support; it helps me be able to keep going with writing. Just sayin'. But please don't reproach me for cancelling this. Sorry, I'm just not that good at writing. But, I'm going to leave this up, just in case I get better at writing and decide to continue it.

I've also been super busy, with school and a whole bunch of reports and things like that due. I've also revived a fan comic of mine, called Link in the City (if I ever get a DeviantArt account, I will post the comic and share the Link on here). It's basically about Link getting warped to New York and meeting two fangirls (one is actually a "friend" that doesn't give a crap about what I do and is actually more of a Doctor Who fan [which, getting off-topic, I recently watched up to the...Second Season, I guess. The one with David Tenet]).

Anyway, I've been super busy, reviving fan comics (which take a SUPER LONG time to draw), with school, reading fanfics, watching videos, random internet searches, and daydreaming. Which is also partially why I'm cancelling this (honestly, I'm kind of lazy and have little patience).

Umm...I'm kind of running out of things to say... Sorry for cancelling it. And if I ever get a DeviantArt account, I will post the Link. And...stuff.

~FantasyFae


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